Barry: Don't be a hero!

Watch Out! Barry's Rocking the Boat again.

You may recall Dr Informed's previous advice to Dr Monk. Well this time, I fear he may have gone too far. If he carries on this manner, then the Government might stop listening to the medical profession when formulating health policy. Without the guiding hand of our profession, Health Policy could become based on poorly thought out, politically driven knee-jerk directives based on dogma rather than evidence. Where would we be then?

Dr Monk's campaign group have release today released a strongly worded press release which will prove highly embassing to the government should it be widely circulated. It's a good job that not many people read Dr Informed's blog then isn't it, because here it is:


So this is how it works

Two weeks ago, senior managers at Bedford Hospital, a former three star NHS Trust, now labouring under crippling debts, were called in by the East of England Strategic Health Authority for a dressing down. The message was unambiguous – they were not being sufficiently radical in closing services in a vain attempt to balance the books; having four wards shut (and another to go in January), over a hundred unfilled vacancies, and one in seven of the workforce on redundancy notices was not sufficient.

One particular reason for the SHA’s ire was the discomfiture being generated by the Save Bedford Campaign, and its vociferous leader, consultant dermatologist Dr Barry Monk. His campaign was first launched on 17th September amidst a storm of publicity. Health minister, Patricia Hewitt, accompanied by the chief Executive of the NHS David Nicholson, visited Bedford in an attempt to damp down concerns. Their visit was not an unmitigated success. Later that month, The Guardian described Bedford as Patricia Hewitt’s “worst nightmare”, and the BBC’s Politics Show said that the local Labour MP, Patrick Hall, defending a majority of just over 3000, was “a dead man walking”.

Clearly then, the SHA, no doubt under instructions from the Department of Health, expected something appropriate to be done to remedy the situation. This week, Bedford Hospital has done what expected of it, and in a document entitled “Defining Our Future Role” have indicated that Dr Monk’s highly regarded department is not required.

Dr Monk commented “ the dermatology department at Bedford Hospital deals with patients who are affected by severe skin disorders which cannot be adequately managed in the community; we are highly regarded by our patients, and by our local GPs, we meet every government target, and we actually generate income for the Trust., so one an only speculate as what motivates these proposals.”

He continued “in the NHS we have become used to irrational decision making, but when personal spite is allowed to intrude, something has gone very seriously wrong.”

Dr Monk is undeterred; indeed his campaign to obtain proper local provision of healthcare for the people of Bedford is being carried forward with renewed vigour.

Ouch! I hope for the sake of calmness and the status quo that Barry's campaign group don't get a website and and a 'corporate identity', because then the proverbial really might hit the fan!